Biffle on Homestead: “We’re taking the same car to Homestead that we led with at Texas and won with at Pocono. We’ve had some success at Homestead obviously and it would be great to end another season with a win there.  We had some extreme highs and lows during this Chase but the highs are encouraging for next season.  We know that we can compete for wins now as long as we don’t have part failures.  We are still working on our short track program but I think we’re moving in the right direction. We’ll just go to Homestead this weekend and do everything we can to finish this season with a win.” Erwin on Homestead: “Biffle has an incredible record at Homestead with his three wins in a row so we know he can get it done if we can give him a fast racecar.  Just like most every other week this year, we need to qualify up front and stay there with good pit stops.  If we can do that, the rest will be up to Biffle and we should be able to compete for the win.  We had one get away from us in Texas and it would be great to end the 2010 season with another trip to victory lane.”     Homestead Notes

• •   Biffle and the 3M team moved up to eighth in the standings following their fourth-place finish in Phoenix; They are 349 points behind point leader Denny Hamlin and only 38 points out of fifth.
• •  Biffle’s average finish at Homestead is 13.5 from an average starting position of 16.1.
• •  Biffle finished three seasons in a row (2004, 2005 and 2006) with wins at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
• •  Last year at Homestead Biffle fought a loose racecar and finished 14th after starting eighth.
• •  The car that Greg is racing this weekend at Homestead is the same car he won with at Pocono and led 224 laps with two weeks ago in Texas.
• •  Fans can still buy a raffle ticket for a chance to win Greg Biffle’s golf cart by visiting www.gregbifflefoundation.com. The winner will be chosen following this weekend’s race at Homestead.
• •  Visit www.shop3M.com to learn more about all of the innovative products 3M has to offer.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Dover Motorsports, Inc., the owner of Memphis Motorsports Park, has retained Morris Auction Group to conduct the sale of the Memphis Motorsports Park at auction, which will take place Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010 at 10 a.m. The live auction will be held on site at the former NASCAR and NHRA racing facility, 5500 Victory Lane, Memphis, Tenn., which is located just off Fite Road in north Memphis. The auction is open to the public and bidder’s registration will begin at 8 a.m. The auction will include the entire racing facility including the racetrack, drag strip, road course, all equipment, tools, furniture and other personalty.

The real estate will be offered in two tracts. Tract 1 contains approximately 115 acres and the ¨ú mile, oval, former NASCAR racetrack. Tract 2 contains approximately 227 acres and the former NHRA drag strip and road course. Bidders may bid on Tract 1, Tract 2 or both.   The auction’s personal property includes Kawasaki Mules, tractors, restaurant equipment, vehicles, office furniture, shop tools and equipment, and much more. All items will be available to preview prior to the auction on Monday, Dec. 13 from 10:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m.   ¡°We have had several buyers from around the country look at buying this property, but we decided that the best way to have all potential buyers compete for the property was through the auction method,¡± said Michael Tatoian, executive vice president of Dover Motorsports, Inc. ¡°We hired Morris Auction Group because we know Jeff and his team have the reputation, experience, professionalism and dedication to make this a successful sale for everyone involved.¡±   ¡°We are pleased that Dover Motorsports has chosen our firm to sell this fantastic facility,¡± said Morris Auction Group President Jeff Morris. ¡°There has already been a great deal of interest in this property and we anticipate to have spirited bidding for this unique opportunity.¡±   For more information about the Memphis Motorsports Auction, including bidding requirements, directions, photos and a complete inventory list, please visit www.MorrisAuctionGroup.com and click on Upcoming Auctions.

Morris Auction Group is located at 2687 Mt. Moriah Terrace, Memphis, TN 38115.   Please call (901) 565-7770 or email info@morrisauctiongroup.com for more information.   www.morrisauctiongroup.com

NASCAR’s 36-race season comes to a close in South Florida this weekend as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 21. ESPN will have a live telecast of the final race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at 1 p.m. ET as the close championship battle involving Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick is decided.

On two episodes of NASCAR Now, ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program, following the most recent race at Phoenix, ESPN analysts and former NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Dale Jarrett and Ricky Craven discussed the championship battle and the chances of all three drivers, who are separated by just 46 points.

How does Denny Hamlin recover from what happened at Phoenix?

Dale Jarrett – “It’s easy to get down but I think there’s two things you have to look at. If you would have told Denny Hamlin, Mike Ford and Joe Gibbs at the beginning of the Chase they could have a 15-point lead, not have to run the first nine races, and just run Homestead, they would have said we’ll take it because they said they were going to outrun them. And that name Joe Gibbs that I mentioned, that’s how they get over this. He is a great motivator; he knows how to get the most out of people. Turn disappointing things into very positive things. He’ll have these guys ready when they get to Homestead.”

Ricky Craven – “The extent that Denny Hamlin and Mike Ford can put this in their rearview mirror will determine their fate, and if they win their first title. They’ve got to focus on the positives. What are those? You’re still leading the point standings and there’s only one race left. You go to Homestead, the race that you won last year, with maybe the car that you won the mile-and-a-half race at Texas, some similarities, you have a chance to close this thing out. You have that 15-point lead, which was a by-product, by the way, of leading the most laps at Phoenix. You’ve got to think about the positives, there are a lot for the 11 team, and get over all the negatives.”

On the relationship between Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus –

Dale Jarrett – “I think there’s one thing that you have to understand from the driver’s side of it – you know that a lot of times that crew chief can be hard on you, and to the outside world it may seem a little bit harsh at times, but Jimmie appreciates it, he understands where Chad is coming from, and the other side of it is, you know that if you didn’t have that crew chief, that guy driving you all the time, then you probably wouldn’t have those championships and wins.”

How important is their experience as four-time champion?

Dale Jarrett – “Invaluable. Nobody else can boast that and say they have that. Harvick has Nationwide championships, Denny Hamlin doesn’t have any in the NASCAR series yet, but if that’s what was going to win it, they (Johnson) would win Sunday hands-down. And they may well do that. They know what they have to do and it’s right there in front of them. I think there’s a little more to it, but the experience side of it, they have everything that it takes in that respect.”

What does Kevin Harvick have to do Sunday?

Ricky Craven – “What I think is interesting is that we haven’t seen the very best from Kevin Harvick, but we’re going to. I’m absolutely convinced of that. This is his best track, roughly an 8th place average, and if he can take the lead early, and make it very clear to Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin, ‘look, don’t forget about me,’ it changes the whole dynamic of this thing. Now you’ve got three guys worried about two other guys. Kevin has just been hanging on throughout the Chase. So I think he’s battle-tested. These other two guys, they might be in a little different situation than this. It’s a misconception if you think any of these guys are playing defense. With one race to go, they have to play offense. They really have to go at this like they’ve got to win the race, because if they don’t, they don’t control their own destiny.”

How should Denny Hamlin approach this?

Ricky Craven – “The same way he has the last four races. If he’s going to win this title, he has to take it from Jimmie Johnson and the 48. He’s going to have to do that with authority. He’s displayed that at Martinsville, Texas, even at Phoenix before he ran out of gas, and that’s how he has to approach it.”

Dale Jarrett – “He’s had the fastest race car in the Chase and I think that will serve him well at Homestead this weekend. He’s got to go there and get the job done. You know that it’s right there in front of you – you know what you have to do – stay in front of the 48 and 29.”

How does Jimmie Johnson approach this?

Ricky Craven – “He’ll be better this year (at Homestead) than he’s ever been before because it’s very disruptive to go into this type of racetrack and these circumstances and have to play defense. It doesn’t allow you be as aggressive with the racetrack as you’d ordinarily be. Now, he can run the high line, he can take some chances on corner exits, you have to transition there because it’s a progressive-banked racetrack. These guys will shift their positions to different lanes throughout the day. He’ll be better because of it. I just feel like Jimmie Johnson has been in this situation, almost every scenario in the last four years. So why isn’t he still the favorite?”

Dale Jarrett – “He knows going in if he can lead the most laps, win the race, then the championship is his, regardless of what else happens. That will be his mindset.”

HOMESTEAD, FLA. (November 16, 2010) – Jeff Gordon may not be one of the three drivers battling in the closest-ever “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” but he can make history of his own in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.

In 18 full seasons in NASCAR’s top division, Gordon has collected 82 wins on 23 tracks – including 21 of the 22 facilities currently on the schedule.

The only Victory Lane visit that has eluded the driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet is Homestead-Miami Speedway – site of the Ford 400.

“We’ve had some good runs here in the past, we just haven’t been able to get that win,” said Gordon, who is sixth in the point standings. “We want to get that win because winning is what drives us. We’re not trying to win because of a statistic, although it would be pretty cool to have won at every track.”

While he has not won in 11 starts here, his five top-fives and nine top-10 finishes are tops at the South Florida track. “Homestead is a fun, fast race track,” said Gordon, who has yet to win poles here, at Las Vegas and at Kansas.

“It has big, sweeping corners but, because of the South Florida summers, the track seems to lose more and more grip. The groove seems to widen out and move up to the top of the race track.

“It creates very challenging situations because it’s very fast but the grip’s not fantastic. The grip goes away pretty fast from new tires, so getting the balance right is very challenging.”

All eyes – including Gordon’s – will be on the tight, three-way battle for the title. He may give the championship contenders some extra room during the race, but not if victory is on the line.

“You don’t want to be the guy that costs somebody the championship because you did something dumb racing for 10th place,” said Gordon.

“But I think those guys also have to recognize that you’re trying to win the race. “If it’s for any place other than a race win, I’m probably going to give them a little bit of extra room knowing there is a championship on the line.

“But if we’re battling for a win, I don’t care who it is. I’m going to race them hard just like I would any other weekend to try to win the race.”

Carl Edwards – NSCS HOMESTEAD ADVANCE

Team: No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion

Crew Chief: Bob Osborne

Chassis: RK-709 This car last raced at Charlotte in October,

finished 12th

Edwards, NSCS at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

Date Event S F Laps Led Status Money

11-22-09 Ford 400 24 7 267/267 0 Running $144,981

11-16-08 Ford 400 4 1 267/267 157 Running $371,025

11-18-07 Ford 400 10 5 267/267 0 Running $134,025

11-19-06 Ford 400 31 8 268/268 0 Running $ 99,475

11-20-05 Ford 400 1 4 267/267 94 Running $167,400

11-21-04 Ford 400 22 14 271/271 0 Running $ 91,876

Races Wins Top-5s Top-10s Poles Led Money

Cumulative 6 1 3 5 1 251 $1,008,773

QUOTES

Carl Edwards on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

“Ford Championship weekend has always been a huge weekend for me and Roush Fenway. We’ve got a ton of momentum right now. I feel like our 1.5-mile program is really strong, and our team is riding a huge wave from last weekend’s win in Phoenix. We can’t lose at Homestead because no matter what happens we all feel like we finished the season strong. We’re just going to go for the win and hopefully finish top four in points. That would be huge.”

Crew chief Bob Osborne on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

“It was great to finally get a win at Phoenix last weekend. Now we can go to Homestead and try for another win, and maintain our fourth place in the points. Carl has a great record at Homestead and won there in 2008. We are taking our newest car in the fleet which we ran at Charlotte so I feel it will be good. We’ve got a lot of momentum going into the final race of the season so we’d love to end the year with one more win.”

FAST FACTS

Carl Edwards will make his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Homestead-Miami Speedway in this weekend’s Ford 400. In his previous six starts, Edwards has accumulated one win, three top-five, five top-10 finishes and one pole.

DESERT DOMINATION…Edwards swept both the Sprint Cup & Nationwide races in Phoenix last weekend. It ended a 70-race winless streak for Edwards in the Cup series.

ON THE TRACK…The Aflac team will be unloading chassis RK-709. Edwards raced this Ford Fusion most recently at Charlotte in October where he finished 16th. It was a new car at Charlotte.

FOR THE RECORD…Edwards’ average start at Homestead is 15.3, his average finish is 6.5 which is the best of all active drivers. He has also led a total of 251 laps there, third among active drivers. He has only finished outside the top 10 once in six starts.

IN THE LOOP… According to NASCAR’s Loop Statistics compiled over the last six races at Homestead, Edwards has turned 112 of the track’s fastest laps, spent 1,112 laps in the top 15, and has a driver rating of 111, which leads all active drivers in these categories.

STANDINGS…Edwards enters Homestead fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings, 264 markers behind the leader. To date in 2010, Edwards has accumulated one win, eight top-five and 18 top-10 finishes, as well as three poles.

REWIND: HOMESTEAD 2009… Edwards was 10th with 30 laps to go and said the car was not quite as good as the previous run, but nobody would have known by his performance on the track. He was still 10th with 20 to go and was up to eighth with only three laps to go. He was able to gain one more position before the checkered flag flew to finish seventh.